Symptoms Spotlight: Insomnia with Abigail Johnston and Melanie Sisk
One of the things a doctor said early on to me was to think about sleep as one of my medications. Part of my treatment plan was how much sleep I was getting. That's been something that I've tried to think about—that it's not just the thing that you do last, or it's not just the thing that you are irritated about and just get through, maybe drink some extra coffee and push through, which is kind of how I dealt with any times I had disruptions in sleep prior to cancer. But thinking about it as part of my treatment plan has helped me place the right importance on it
Symptoms Spotlight: Constipation with Abigail Johnston and Melanie Sisk
Hosts Melanie Sisk and Abigail Johnston have an honest conversation about constipation—a common but often unspoken side effect of cancer treatment. They discuss how to recognize constipation beyond the obvious symptoms, share practical remedies like MiraLax, Colace, and the "prune juice slider," and emphasize the importance of movement for digestive health. The duo also addresses the challenge of swinging between constipation and diarrhea, offering advice on when to troubleshoot on your own and when to seek help from your medical team or a GI specialist.
Symptoms Spotlight: Diarrhea with Abigail Johnston and Melanie Sisk
Melanie Sisk and Abigail Johnston discuss managing diarrhea from cancer medications—a common but often embarrassing side effect. Learn practical strategies for treatment, when to seek specialist help, and how to advocate for better quality of life during cancer treatment.
Symptoms Spotlight: Fatigue with Abigail Johnston and Melanie Sisk
Join hosts Melanie Sisk and Abigail Johnston as they shine a light on the real experiences of managing cancer symptoms. In each episode of the Symptoms Spotlight series of short episodes, we explore different symptoms caused by cancer or its treatment, sharing practical insights and hard-won wisdom directly from patients who've been there.
Melanie and Abigail share their experiences managing cancer-related fatigue over 5+ years of treatment. They discuss practical solutions including exercise programs like LiveStrong and Two Unstoppable, Medicare fitness benefits, medication options like Ritalin, and the importance of nutrition, hydration, and monitoring vitamin levels.